Shale shaker



June 8, 1943. 3. M. RANGE 2,321,243

SSSSSSSSS ER June 8, 1943. M, RANGE 2,321,243

SHALE SHAKER Filed Feb. 19, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 M-Raqye m J. M. RANGE 2,321,243

SHALE SHAKER June 8, 1943.

Filed Feb. 19, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet s Patented June 8, 1943 .UNlTE STATES PATNT OFFIQE SHALE SHAKER John M. Range, Beeville, Tex.

Application February 19, 1940, Serial No. 319,773

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an improved shale shaker and is an improvement over the structure shown, described and claimed in my Patent No. 2,174,836 (Serial No. 218,657, filed July 11, 1938).

One object of my invention is to provide a shale shaker employing an improved mud pan which will effectively eliminate splashing of mud dropping from the cylindrical screen employed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shale shaker wherein the axle supporting the cylindrical screen is reinforced so that vibration will be largely eliminated and danger of the axle breaking obviated.

As a still further object, the invention seeks to provide a machine of this character employing a frame which will partially enclose said machine and offer protection therefor.

Further objects of the invention, not mentioned hereinbefore, will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved shale shaker,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the machine,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail top plan view showing the inner end of the intake trough employed.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein similar reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the views, the numeral l indicates in general the frame of my improved shale shaker. The frame I includes a base 2 which is formed of spaced beams 3 and 4, said beams being mounted endwise and being located in parallel spaced relation throughout their lengths. At their opposite corresponding ends, the beams are connected by rods 5 and 6 which prevent spreading of the base.

The frame I includes standards I and 8, which rise from the beams 3 and 4 near their corresponding forward ends, which is to say, near the ends of said beams which are connected by the rod 5. The ends of the beams connected by the rod 6 will be located at the rear end of the frame. The standards I and 8 are connected at their corresponding lower ends by an angle beam 5! which serves to brace the lower ends of the standards and also to provide additional bracing means for the base. Standards In and H are carried at the rear end of the base and rise from the beams 3 and 4. Said standards [0 and H are connected by an angle bar l2. Near the standards I and 8 are located standards l3 and 14. These lastmentioned standards extend upwardly in parallel spaced relation to the standards I and 8. Near the forward end of the base an angle bar i5, like the bar 9, connects the corresponding lower ends of the standards is and I4 and thus provide a bracing means for said standards and additional bracing means for the base. A horizontal front bar 56, of inverted L-shape cross section, connects the corresponding upper ends of the standards l and 8 at corresponding sides thereof. As will be seen by referring to Figure 1, all of the standards are, like the bar IQ, of L-shape contour. Side bars I! and [8 are connected with the standards 1 and 8 and with the standards l3 and M. The side bars extend throughout the major portion of the length of the base and are connected with the standards l0 and H. As will be seen by referring to Figure 3, the side bar I! is connected with the upper end of the standard I ll. The side bar I8 is connected with the standard II at a point substantially two-thirds along its height.

which lies the upper end of the standard it. The reason for this will be explained hereinafter. A rear bar [9 connects the upper end of the standard H) at the point along the height of the standard H at which the side bar [8 is connected. Mounted on the top surface of the rear bar l3 medially of its length is a bearing 20.

The side bars I! are connected near their corresponding forward ends by an intermediate bar 2| which is of angle shape cross section and which is located in parallel spaced relation to the front bars I6. The intermediate bar 25 is located near the forward end of the frame. To be more specific, the intermediate bar 2i is located substantially one-fifth the length of the frame away from the front bar it. Like the bar IS, the intermediate bar carries a bearing 22 which is of similar construction to the bearing 20.

Extending longitudinally of the frame and disposed medially between the bars 3 and 4 of the base and the side bars l1 and I8 are supporting bars 23 and 24. The supporting bars are of inverted L shape cross section and serve to support the upper rearward portion of a mud pan, which is indicated generally by the numeral 25. The mud pan 25 includes a flared substantially rectangular upper portion 26 which terminates in a laterally extending mounting flange 21 which flange is riveted or otherwise secured to the laterally extending arms of the supporting bars 23 In other words, the standard H is projected upwardly past the horizontal plane in and 24. A transverse supporting bar 28 connects the standards I3 and I4 and provides support for the end portion of the flange 21. A suitable supporting bar 29 extends between the standards I9 and II and supports the opposite end of the flared portion 26.

The flared portion 26 of the mud pan 25 is tapered downwardly and communicates with the upper and inner end of a discharge chute 30, said discharge chute extending laterally to discharge from the side of the frame. The discharge chute 30, as may be clearly seen by referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, includes side flanges 3| which effectively prevent splashing of mud dropping from the cylindrical screen which is mounted in the frame and will be described hereinafter. Mounted in the frame I between the intermediate bar 2| and the rear bar l9, to rotate in said frame, is a cylindrical screen 32. The screen 32 is of sufficient diameter to extend throughout the major portion of the area of the frame between the side bars I! and I6 and the bars l9 and 2 I and yet be freely rotatable therein. The screen includes an axially mounted supporting shaft 33 which extends throughout the length of the screen and is journaled by the bearings 20 and 22. The screen is braced initially by means of radially extending braces 34, said braces extending from the inner surface of the screen, near one end thereof, to hubs 35, 36, 31 and 38 which surround the shaft, the hub 38 being relatively small. Brace rods extend between the hubs 35 and 31, said brace rods being shown at 39 and being located at spaced point-s throughout the circumference of the hubs. Four of the rods 39 are shown. It should be understood that, if desired, more of them may be employed. Brace rods 49 extend between the hub 36 and the hub 38, and as will be seen. the rods 40 are tapered toward the shaft. This is due to the fact that the hub 38 is relatively small. It is a particularly noteworthy feature of the invention that the hub 35, 36, 31 and 38, and the rods 39 and 49 cooperate to provide reinforcement for the axle 33 so that vibration will be eliminated and danger of breaking the axle largely removed.

As clearly seen in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the cylindrical screen 32 is provided with an open forward end 4| and an open rear end 42, the rear end, of course, being provided with suitable braces 43 for enclosing the axle with respect to the screen itself. A hub 44 is carried by the braces and effectively mounts the rear end of the screen on the shaft 33.

The screen 32, as clearly seen in Figures 1 and 2, is formed with a solid portion 45 which extends substantially one-fourth the length of the screen. The solid portion 45 terminates at its forward end in an inwardly disposed flange 46. At its opposite end, the screen is formed with cutouts 41, which are defined by longitudinally and circumferentially extending strips 48 and 49, respectively. The strips, as will be seen, define substantially square shape for the cutouts 41. A cylindrical screen member 50 extends throughout the circumferential area of the cylindrical screen from the inner boundary of the solid portion 45 to the rear end of said screen. It will be seen that said screen extends through the areas of all of the cutouts 41.

Mounted on the inner surface of the solid portion 45 of the screen 32 are substantially U- shaped driving paddles or buckets the driving paddles 5| each extending longitudinally of the portion 45 and said paddles being arranged in a circumferential series. Relatively short agitating paddles 52 are carried adjacent the screen member 59 and in longitudinally and circumferentially spaced relation. The purpose of these paddles will be made known presently.

In order to introduce shale into the machine, I provide an inlet chute, which is indicated generally at 53. The inlet chute 53 includes a substantially rectangular relatively wide mouth 54 which is defined by a bottom wall 55 and an upwardly tapered top wall 56. The bottom wall 55 is mounted on the front bar l6 and intermediate bar 2|, medially of their lengths, by clips 51. As will be seen, the wall 55 is spaced above the bars l6 and 2| by said clips. The inner end portion of the inlet chute 52 is turned laterally and is formed with a dividing partition 58. As will be seen clearly in Figure 4, the open inner end of the chute 53 is presented to confront the series of driving paddles or buckets 5| so that, when a flow of shale is passing through the inlet chute,

said flow will impinge on the paddles and willcause the cylindrical screen 32 to rotate.

The upper third of the standard II, for the sake of convenience is indicated by the numeral 59. The standard I4 is also provided with an upwardly projecting third which will be designated at 60. The portions 59 and 69 are, of course, arranged in the same longitudinal plane and in a plane parallel to the axis of the shaft 33. The portions 59 and 60 support water pipes 6| and 62 which are provided with water outlet openings 63. The pipe BI is connected with the pipe 62 at a point adjacent the portion 69 of the standard l4 by means of a T joint 64. A control valve 65 is operated for regulating flow of water into the pipes 6| and 62. A steam pipe is indicated by the numeral 66 and is supported in parallel spaced relation above the pipe 6| by the portions 59 and 60 of the standards II and I 4, respectively. The steam pipe is connectable to any suitable source of steam pressure and is provided with a nozzle 61 which extends laterally and inwardly toward the surface of the cylindrical screen 32. Steam passing from the nozzle 61 will engage in circumferentially spaced vane members 68 which are mounted on the inner end portion of the solid portion 45. It will be understood that steam fiowing from the nozzle 61 and engaging in the members 68 will provide a booster for the cylindrical screen for speeding up rotation where necessary.

As shown in Figure 2, a shale discharge pan 69 is mounted on a bracket 10 at the rear end of the machine. The shale discharge pan 69 is located with its upper bottom adjacent the rear end rim of the screen 32. i

It is believed that the operation of my improved shale shaker will be clear from the foregoing description. However, a brief statement on the subject of the operation of the invention is not thought to be out of place.

Shale is fed to the trough 53 and, as it passes from the inner end of said trough, it will fall into the paddles or buckets 5|. The weight of the continuous flow of shale will cause the screen 32 to rotate within the frame. The shale will, of course, move rearwardly in the screen and the screen element 59 will cause screening of the shale for removing desired materials therefrom. The shale will pass along through the screen and will pass into the discharge pan 69. The buckets or paddles 52 will be effective for scattering the shale within the area of the screen element so that effective screening will tion of my improved shale shaker will now be thoroughly understood.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A shale shaker including a frame having a base, standards rising from the base, side bars connected with the standards, front, intermediate and rear bars connected with the standards at their corresponding upper ends, supporting bars carried by the frame between the side bars and the base, a mud pan carried by the supporting bars and extending laterally throughout the area of the central portion of the frame, said mud pan having a flared portion terminating in a reduced U-shaped laterally extending discharge chute, said discharge chute projecting from one side of the frame, and a cylindrical screen rotatably mounted on the frame for screening desired material from shale, said desired material passing into the mud pan and discharging from the chute, said cylindrical screen being rotatably mounted between the intermediate and rear bars and being entirely surrounded by the frame.

JOHN M. RANGE. 

